The third and fourth pressure cookers above are Instant Pots. The others are other brands of electric pressure cookers. My in-depth Instant Pot Duo Plus Whisper Quiet Review will be posted next week. As a quick preview, the Whisper Quiet is a great mid-range option. My favorite feature is the combination dot-matrix and LCD display, which provides text that indicates what’s going on in the pot. The redesigned lid is quieter , and it has a lot of the high-demand buttons.
I have a 3 quart but bought it after I had the 6 quart for at least a year. I use it to make a side dish when my main dish is cooking in the 6 quart. Many people, and some manufacturers, maintain that it’s completely fine to put non-stick cookware in the dishwasher, while others find that blasphemous. On the other hand, stainless steel has a long and proven pedigree of being dishwasher instant vortex safe and thus doesn’t elicit the same debate. Instant Pot has come down firmly on the “stainless is better” side of the conversation, using stainless pots in all of their pressure cookers. Some of the Instant Pot models also come equipped with a sterilize program that’s designed for sterilizing different items, pasteurizing dairy, and performing some types of canning.
Yes that’s what most recipes call for but for very few dollars more you can choose a model with high and low pressure. If you don’t want leftovers, go for the 3-Quart Instant Pot. However, if you like leftovers, cooking pot-in-pot , or two-fer meals (e.g., cooking roast one night then cutting it into beef tips and gravy the next night), I’d recommend the 6-quart.
There are very few situations where the DUO Nova wouldn’t be our top pressure cooker recommendation. The first is for those that mainly want to cook meat, as we’ve found some other cookers that can retain just a bit more tenderness in specific cuts than this machine. It sets the standard for pressure cookers, offering a versatile list of cooking functions, well-designed controls, and convenient touches like a pressure release button. In the world of pressure cookers, the DUO Nova sells for a relatively reasonable price but leads the pack in terms of performance. Sure, you can find some models that sell for less, but those models generally lack a saute function and thus, sacrifice quite a bit of the convenience that makes pressure cookers so attractive. We believe this is one of the best values on the market.
The plethora of Instant Pot models sold by the Instant Pot Company make choosing one a frustrating nightmare. I really think they’ve shot themselves in the foot as I fear many people consider purchasing an Instant Pot, see the 986 models and give up because they can’t figure out what model choose. Past retailers have offered instant vortex a vibrantly colored exterior. The Viva has also offered the stainless steel body in several colors. These colorful editions appear to be getting phased out, so stock will be limited. It also cooks a little faster than older models of Instant Pot, like the Duo, so be aware that you may need to adjust your recipes accordingly.